A Tale of Two Worlds
by Asali Nyuki
Summary: The romantic-biography of Ian Troi Sr, and also an account of Lwaxana and her first love's relationship. This story is mostly speculation, but it is also collaboration and collection from Star Trek episodes, and behind-the-scenes information. In general,
1. Prologue

a tale of two worlds intro Introduction:

Across the plains blew a magnificent wind, and the tops of gently rounded trees dappled in the awesome construction of the rolling landscapes abroad. The simplistic sounds of an Earthen Bird of Paradise laid its call to this heaven of countless days and dreamy cloudless skies. Through the lush jungle around Unoja'te, United Embassy of Kenya, two pairs of thin Erasto-Glass LED binoculars stared into the tops of the daunting masters of the forests. Foxglove and Cardinal Flowers waved to and fro around a large clearing of silent grass...   
"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" a young voice called from the long grasses of the jungle clearing. The silence was broken, and the rare primates around the area jumped when they heard the shrill voice of a human.   
On the other side of the clearing, a tall dark man of about 34 years stood. He peered into his binoculars, and he caught sight of a Osprey that swooped above for a few moments, and then resting on a high branch. Typical of an Osprey, the man thought to himself. After all, a clear river ran near his and his son's campsite.   
"Daddy!!" the voice grew more persistant. Then, as soon as the man moved over to the entrance to the makeshift home they had, a small head popped from the grasses. A dark flash of black hair shimmered in the sunlight as the boy of seven made a move to his father's side.   
"Shh! Your going to scare away the wildlife…" the father said. He removed the wide-brimmed hat and brushed off his own dark head of hair. It was hot and sticky.   
"But…but…but…" the boy wouldn't give up. He pointed inside the entrance, and moved in.   
The entrance opened to a large room with walls of flap-canvas, upheld by metal rods firmly dug into the ground. It was a good size, and near the right side, there was an array of metal cages. Inside the top layer was a large Western Honey-Buzzard, complimented with a rare Egyptian Vulture. The birds of prey watched the smaller framed boy.   
"I love you…Simon," the boy smiled widely at the beautiful Western Honey-Buzzard. The boy's father watched him intently as his son spoke to the wildlife with an empathy he saw often in his child.   
The boy continued, "I just saw one of your own kind, Simon. Father's going to let you out soon…but you got to promise to come back. I want to hear all of your adventures."   
Of course, as much as the boy wanted the bird to respond, he didn't. "Simon" simply looked into the dark brown eyes of his human-friend. The bird, of course, didn't register what was happening, or that he was simply a subject of wildlife relocation.   
"Come on, Angster," the father joked, replacing the hat on his head. "You going to help me take a count tomorrow on the Bataleur population around here?"   
"YES!" the boy responded, but then he stopped, "Don't call me Angster!"   
"OK…fine, Andrew."   
"No! Not that either…" the boy came forward and playfully started to wrestle his much taller father.   
"Andy?" the father joked back. He lifted his arm, and along with it, his son who tugged at it.   
"No! I'm Ian."   
The father frowned, and he jokingly snapped his fingers as he walked back into the sun-dominated clearing. "So…that's your name?"   
"Yes! You dummy!" Ian, the boy, responded. "I am Ian! Duh!"   
"Watch it…your lucky I let you stay for breakfast," the father laughed to himself.   
Ian tripped forward, still trying to outdo his father's muscular capability. 


	2. The Beginning

a tale of two worlds ch2 Chapter Two:

"This is totally unfair…I cannot reroute these Trition signals anywhere!" Ian groaned, and he looked at his instructor. The slim-female came forward, sighed, and showed her student how it was done.   
"You are more of a computer-programming person, aren't you?" the woman snorted as she smiled at Ian. Ian just rolled his young eyes.   
"Isn't that what Engineers are?"   
"Well…only the best Engineers have pushed themselves to know this by heart…until they have programmed it into their behavior."   
"So…what's your point, Lt. Mito?" Ian frowned, and he looked at the instructor.   
Lt. Mito rolled her own eyes, and she pointed to the LCARS simulant. "Look…right here. Now, if you were looking for a cloaked ship in the area, you wouldn't have found it because you didn't reroute correctly…"   
"I didn't reroute at all…"   
"Exactly my point. You would have been DEAD by now…" Lt. Mito groaned. "You have got to learn this. When are you planning to pass this simulation? Before your even considered for placement in the Fleet…you have to pass this!"   
Ian cracked a smile, "Is it recorded how many times I've tried it?"   
Lt. Mito shook her head, "Get back to work. This Academy ship is going to rendezvous with Betazed in about an hour. We are hitting orbit soon. Once we do, you cannot practice this test anymore. Is that clear?"   
Ian thought for a moment, and he found his mind wandering off to the subject of Betazed. "Isn't that the planet with the mind-readers?"   
Lt. Mito's eyes widened, and she made sure no Betazoids were around when he blurted the phrase out. "Cadet! I bet you haven't even passed your basic diplomatic skills assessment…have you?"   
"Well…" Ian looked down and smiled widely. He brushed his hand through his thick hair. "Maybe…"   
"DID you, or DID you not?" Lt. Mito frowned, and she leaned back into standing position.   
Ian chuckled, "Relax…I'm doing it."   
Lt. Mito heaved loudly, and she walked away without a further word. Ian was left at the lit up station. He sighed, and he stared into the symbols of the Federation. The bright logo beamed in the left hand corner, and he noticed that the lesson was ready to re-begin. He didn't feel like going through it again. Everytime…he messed up. He just wasn't a cloaking sort of guy…

"Incoming message via subspacial channel for Cadet Ian Troi…" the computer on his desk inside his Cadet-student quarters beamed to life.   
Ian rolled over in his bed, and he looked up at the computer. He moaned. In the darkness of his room, he could see the light shining. He rubbed his eyes. "Come in. Computer, recite message. None other accepting, Message One protocol…"   
The computer stopped for a moment, and then began. It was the voice of a solemn, older-sounding man. Ian frowned at the mention of his father's name, and he suddenly felt a terrible dread in the deep recesses of his soul.   
"Cadet Troi, we are unfortunate to have to alert you of this serious news. Your father, Philip B. Troi, suffered a massive cardio-vascular failure due to a lethal snakebite while on mission in the jungles of Unoja'te, located in the United Embassy of Kenya. He was held for three hours in a critical care unit, and antidotes were administered. Unfortunately, he died approximately at 0100 hours, Eastern African time, Stardate approximately 45624.5…"   
Ian's eyes snapped open…He didn't hear the rest of that message. He saw a flashback of the lush greens in that same jungle, from so long ago in his memory. For a moment, he even thought that he could smell the fresh Blue Vervain plants, and the beautiful but lethal Foxglove....   
He sat straight up in his bed, and he screamed until he found no more air to suck into his laboring lungs.

Lt. Mito sighed as she sat in her quarters, and she registered Cadet Ian Troi's medical file. Everything in his past had been fine.   
Now, the USS Tornato was docked at the newly built Betazed shipyards, and Lt. Mito was living well as the ship was being revamped with the latest of everything. She sipped a nice cup of cherry-flavored water, and she reread her favorite student's file over and over.   
"Ian Andrew Troi…Cadet. Born in the National State of Oklahoma. Father is Philip B. Troi, mother…deceased Ireanne C. Maghiss. Bloodwork always normal…psychological evaluations, normal. Passed all but Diplomatic assessment and Basic Cloaking 101…." She stopped. "What the hell is his problem!?"   
Lt. Mito crossed her arms, and she sighed, "Cadet Troi…not speaking to anyone. Psychological report states he's in trauma…but from WHAT? That son tells me everything. Why not now? Computer! Do a trace on all subspace files…"   
The computer buzzed, "Incorrect authorization. You must have the rank of Lt. Commander or higher to achieve a search or archive on subspace communication records. Please restate."   
Lt. Mito felt her face growing red, "Computer…blow yourself up."   
"Command unknown. Please restate."   
Lt. Mito rose, brushed herself off, and began to exit her quarters, "Computer, go to hell."   
Before the computer could respond again, she was out of the doors, and off to Cadet Troi's quarters.

Ian sat on the floor of his quarters, hugging his knees to his broadening chest. He stared at the carpet blanky, and when Lt. Mito forced entry into his living space, he looked at her as if he was seeing straight through her.   
"Lt…I need two weeks off," Ian started shakily.   
"Oh…now my boy begins to talk…Cadet, stand up. That's an order."   
Ian drug himself to his feet, and he stood before her. He haunched over, and his eyes looked old. The once eager and excited 22-year old Cadet suddenly looked like a dying Romulan leader. His dark features only made his inherited thinness show even more.   
"What is the matter with you, Cadet?" Lt. Mito demanded. She bore into him with her light blue eyes. "What is this business about you skipping your first testing session? Do you realize that you are in Starfleet Academy violation?"   
Ian seemed to sniff, "It doesn't matter anymore. Who cares what I do."   
Lt. Mito stepped forward, and she looked at Ian Troi. She took her hands, and fixed his collar and pips. He was still in his uniform, even though they had been off duty for 2 whole days now. "Get yourself together! Now I know something has happened, and I'm not going to force you to tell me. BUT...you cannot let little personal matters affect your performance in Starfleet! Now..did you break up with a girl? Don't worry…there's a whole planet Betazed untouched by Troi down there. Did you find a gray hair? THAT just happens…"   
Ian looked down, and after a moment of silence, he whispered, "My father's dead."   
Lt. Mito barely heard him, but when she did, she stopped, and she dropped her hands. She looked at Ian, and she suddenly took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Is that Philip B. Troi?"   
Ian nodded. He couldn't find anything else to say.   
Lt. Mito, on the other hand, took a step back, and she collected her thoughts..Philip was…DEAD? The whole concept seemed unreal. Philip had been one of the best Science officers Starfleet ever had. He had even been the Science Bureau's main researcher. But…when his wife had become ill and pregnant with their son, Ian…he dropped Starfleet and settled. Philip had began to make a living through zoological-research on various xenological hotspots that Starfleet was interested in…But unfortunately, his wife, Ireanna had died, leaving a baby Ian and an adult gruff of Philip B. Troi alone in the world.   
"Oh…Ian, I am terribly sorry," Lt. Mito sighed. "Who in Starfleet knows about this? How come no one else does..?"   
"The counselor I spoke with…Admiral White, the the main Science Bureau of Starbase Space Nine....No one knows because his actions on the mission are under investigation," Ian spoke. He didn't even show any other emotion then a silent despair and desperation. Lt. Mito tried to ignore her emotions…but she barely could. Phil had been loved everywhere, even though the man had his character faults. She sighed, and she looked Ian up and down. She suddenly saw Phil's features in her young student's shape and form. His dark eyes…his lavish sheen of black hair…it was all there. Even a small cowlick-tuft of hair stuck up in the back of his bold head.   
Lt. Mito collected herself, and she tried to lead Ian to the door. "Come on Ian…you can hang around my place…I'm beaming down to Betazed tomorrow. I want you to come with me."   
Ian just shrugged, and he left his quarters, with a silent dread in his spirit.   
  



End file.
